Sunderland legend Kevin Ball insists the Black Cats’ tough start to the Championship campaign is fantastic for the club, and is calling for the players to show the fight required to earn promotion.

Following relegation last season, Sunderland will be pushing for a quick return to the Premier League but today learned of a difficult start to the season, with their opening four games against Derby (h), Norwich (a), Sheffield Wednesday (a) and Leeds (h) - all of whom will also hope to be pushing for promotion.

But Ball insists a tough start will be exactly what they need and has called upon the players to show fight and resilience to get them off to a rare strong start.

“It’s a fantastic opening game,” Ball said. “The fact it’s at home on a Friday night - there will be a full house at the Stadium of Light, a fantastic atmosphere, and I’m delighted.

“The tough start makes it ever greater for me.

“We always have great away support too so I’m sure that will still be the case in the games that follow. They’ll thoroughly enjoy it.

“The first few games are always hard no matter who you’re up against because you’re trying to find your level and who you’re up against, but I think this start is fantastic for the club.

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“It’s important to try and get a good start as well. It’s interesting because of what’s happened in previous seasons, particularly last with getting relegated, and sometimes that can leave a bit of a hangover.

“It can happen, but we have to be resilient from the start and get as many points on the table as we can. Hopefully that will happen.”

Former Sunderland caretaker manager Kevin Ball (Image: PA Wire)

Having being involved in helping Sunderland achieve promotion to the Premier League twice, he’s well aware of the strains of the second tier of English football.

He knows it will be a long and strenuous campaign on Wearside, but is hopeful they can earn promotion at the first time of asking.

He continued: “In the Championship the games come thick and fast. There’ll be weeks where you play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday and then Tuesday again. It is tough.

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“Preparation will have to be right for it. We’ll have to prepare the players both mentally and physically for the long season ahead.

“Throughout the season you have to manage the players as well. Their loadings will be adjusted accordingly. The players will start to feel it in their bodies as the season goes on.

“The players will take bumps and knocks over the course of the season but it’s important they get back up and get on with it. They have to be resilient, they have to be tough. To be honest, I’m standing here wishing I was still playing.

“Of course, we wish we were still in the Premier League but what we have to do is start afresh, move forward and give ourselves a right go at getting promoted.”